Losing Hope
by AoiroFox
Summary: Bah, bad title. A Graystripe fic, and it's meant to be sad. R


_I pressed my face against the hard wire of the twoleg cage. I strained for a glance at the others, hoping they had fled safely. I sighed, resting my head wearily on my forepaws as the monster roared away, and closied my eyes._

---

"Graystripe!" My eyes whipped open, and I found myself standing in a strange clearing I had never seen before. A silver cat sat before me. I knew her at once.

"Silverstream!" I meowed, my heart beating faster in my chest at the sight of my long lost mate. "Silverstream, I've missed you so much!"

I tried to leap towards her, but she always stayed just out of reach. "Silverstream, why are you here?" I asked after a while, breathing in her sweet scent.

Her green eyes filled with pity, and she mewed. "Troubled times lay ahead Graystripe." She mewed, her voice soft and gentle. I gazed into her eyes and nodded. She then continued. "But never give up hope. StarClan are always with you…As am I…." She began to fade into the shadows.

"Don't leave me Silverstream!" I yowled. Another cat appeared quickly, flashing me a sympathetic glance. "Feathertail!" I meowed, as she too began to fade away. "No, don't you leave me as well!"

"Never lose hope…"

I awoke again, this time finding myself in a dirty, cramped cage. I knew it had been a dream, but I could still smell my daughter's scent, see my mate's shining eyes.

I lay there for almost an hour, the grief of my lost family more painful than ever. I would have continued my mourning if-

"Get up you lazy hairball!" Spat a scornful voice. "You can't just sleep all day you know!" I raised my head to see a ragged brown and white tom in a cage beside mine. His ears were tattered, and several scars replaced a lot of his fur.

"Sorry," I mumbled, to upset and depressed to argue. I turned my back on him, staring at an empty cage on my other side. I heard him snort, but he didn't continue the fight.

A twoleg suddenly opened a small part of my cage. It was pouring some small, hard pellets into a bowl. They stank of rotting prey and I didn't dare touch them, let alone eat them. Beside me, the tom was scoffing his, as if he hadn't eaten for days.

As if he had read my mind, he hissed at me. "Eat it. They'll take it away and not feed you for a while if you don't."

I nodded dumbly, taking a pellet in my jaws and crunching it. I spat it out immediately, snarling. "I'd rather eat crowfood!"

The tom shrugged. "Suit yourself." And bent down to lick his bowl clean. I sighed, wishing I at least had better company.

---

I awoke from a short nap the next day, wishing I could be back in the forest, free and strong. I turned to the tom, my desire for company too much to bear.

"My name's Graystripe." I mewed to him, trying to sound friendly. He glared at me, but grunted. "I'm Bailey." He flicked his tattered tail, clearly dismissing me. I sighed, dropping my head back to my paws.

--

I had been here a quarter moon. Two days ago, I had finally started to eat the twoleg food, or else I would have starved. Now I felt sorry for taunting Firestar about it on the day we met. It's terrible!

Firestar. What was he doing now? What was the Clan doing now? Did they miss me? Or didn't they care? And what about Stormfur? What had happened to him? The questions spun around in my head, and I sighed.

Bailey had been taken away by a twoleg only yesterday. He had purred for the first time, wishing me luck on finding a new home. But I didn't _want _a new home. I wanted _ThunderClan_. But then they had taken him into a smaller part of the nest, and I hadn't seen him since. I worried about him, for some reason.

Never give up hope. That's what Silverstream told me. But how couldn't I give up hope? My life was over. StarClan wouldn't save me now, and I knew it. So I stopped eating again. I grew weak, but I didn't care. What did it matter if I died? No-one would care - especially not _StarClan. _

Then the twoleg opened my cage. I knew what was coming, and I almost purred at the thought. I had figured out what had happened to Bailey, and I had a plan.

The twoleg carried me into a different part of the nest, placing me on a hard metal table. Too weak to support myself, I flopped on my side. The twoleg filled something up with what looked like water. I closed my eyes for a moment, savouring the peace and quiet.

Something sharp poked into my scruff, and I hissed in pain. I knew what was coming. I suddenly felt as though I had run through the entire forest. I gasped for breath, feeling exhausted. I closed my eyes, and breathed in a sweet scent.

_Oh Silverstream, _I thought. _You never left me…_

**Author's Note: Yeah. I know it's weird, but oh well. I love Gray-Gray, but a friend of mine suggested this, so I wrote it. I dunno what happens in the story - I've only read the first series and Midnight. XD This is a oneshot, so don't tell me to update. R&R peeps, Kesadawn signing off.**


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